New Bern to Elizabeth City, NC – Crossing the Fabled Albemarle Sound: Great Loop Cruising

We rode out the Labor Day holiday weekend in New Bern, NC – a side trip off the Intracoastal Waterway up the Neuse River.

We ended up extending our stay by a day, as windy conditions had small craft advisories on the Neuse River for our journey back down river. As the Neuse opens up into the Pamlico Sound, things can get quite sporty with just a bit of wind.

As we’re pleasure cruisers – we’ll always opt for more optimal conditions when feasible.

After the advisories were dropped, we pulled away with New Bern in our wake, and continued our journey with much anxious anticipation for both the Pamlico Sound and Ablemarle Sound ahead of us.

Both notorious as some of the most challenging waters to cross along the Great Loop.

This post covers our adventures from September 5 – 15, 2024.

Here’s our video version of this segment, or continue below for the written (as posted in more real time on our Facebook Page):

Stop 1: Greens Creek Anchorage – Oriental, NC

We left New Bern after the winds died down a bit, and the upper Neuse River was quite pleasant to transit. But conditions on the river as it opened up as we turned around Minnesota Point, were still rather sporty.

So we ducked into Oriental, just 22.5 nm down the Neuse from New Bern, to let things calm down even more, and enjoyed checking out this cute little cruising centric town.

Great neighborhoods to walk/run, some nice restaurants, a smoothie/coffee bar, a West Marine Express in relative walking distance and even a small brewery with a food truck.

We anchored behind the bridge instead of opting for the free docks, but were tickled there was another Bayliner 4788 in port – we seem to be running into quite a number of them in the places we’ve been exploring lately!

We ended up two nights here, with hopes of meeting up with some friends. But alas, it was not meant to be.

Stop 2: Washington, NC

When we left Oriental, NC, light drizzle for the morning was predicted. And the Neuse River was predicted to be a ‘light chop’ as it opened up into the Pamlico Sound.

This is a notorious area for ‘sporty’ conditions that we’d like to avoid as much as possible.

As the morning progressed and the river opened up… I’m pretty sure a light chop increased to moderate as we bashed head into waves. And about 1/2 the water in our hot tub splashed overboard.

Thankful the waves were head on, for sure! It wasn’t too bad overall. Sporty is definitely a good term to describe the experience.

While turning into the Bay River meant a short period of taking some waves the beam (we tacted as much possible to avoid them) – thankfully protection and calmer waters were soon abound!

We then transited the smooth Pamlico River for new adventures in ‘little’ Washington (as those in the regional refer to it, locals seem to prefer ‘original’ Washington).

All and all.. a 55 nm, 7.5 hr cruising day to the free municipal docks in Washington.

So many of the small towns up this way, especially when it’s a side trip off the ICW – offer free dockage for a couple of days to lure cruisers in. And it works.

We had heard so many great things about this cute little historic town – and it did not disappoint.

From a super friendly dock master who warmly welcomed us with an overview of the town.. to so many restaurants and shops to explore.

We even got to meet up with our friends from The Wild Herron, who were dockmates in Wilmington. Tadd, Karen & Jenna live in Washington however – so it was fun to reconnect for an evening!

We ended up extending beyond our free two nights (at just .75/ft) so we could tour the Estuarium before we departed – which wasn’t open until Tuesday. We alway love learning more about the waterways we travel.

Such a fun side trip.. so glad we made it!

Stop 3: Goose Creek State Park

After leaving ‘little’ Washington, we decided to make a stop on a little side cove off the Pamlico, and anchored right off of Goose Creek State Park. Just 8.4 nm down river.

With a dinghy dock right at the campground – there was easy shore access! Such a beautiful campground with well spaced wooded sites – it made us whimsical for our van life too.

And, access to some lovely hiking.

Such a beautiful, peaceful and blissful stop – we could have stayed here for days.

But alas, in the morning we awoke to weather predictions of deteriorating conditions on the Albemarle Sound in the coming days as a weather blob off the coast of NC was developing. And if we wanted to cross before getting pinned down for another week or so, we better get our behinds in motion.

As we had many miles to make..

Stop 4: Deep Point Anchorage – Aligator River

We had hoped to spend more time on the Pamlico River, perhaps exploring the town of Bath and then spending day or two in Belhaven as we made our way north. And then perhaps explore the towns along the Albemarle Loop?

But alas, rapidly deteriorating conditions on the Albermarle Sound had us bumping up our crossing as our weather window was closing.

The current predictions indicated we had just enough time to push to make it, or we’d be pinned back at least a week. We calculated the mileage ahead, and we could just make it with two full cruising days.. if conditions held.

Let’s do it!

And of course, Starlink had just launched all new data plan pricing and terms we had to cover. So we took turns a the helm, while the other worked on covering the story with our team over at the Mobile Internet Resource Center.

We made a stop at Dowry Creek Marina to pour some rent into the tank (nomad speak for ‘fueling up’) and pump out our waste tank.

And then off into the beautiful jungle like Pungo-Aligator canal that connects the two rivers. We saw a moving black dot ahead – thinking it might be bird or an aligator?

NO! It was a BLACK BEAR! A bear!! Swimming across the canal!! HOW COOL!!!

That kept us amped up to complete a 60 mi cruising day, before setting the hook just before sunset at the base of the Aligator River for the night.

Early to bed, as we’d be up before daybreak to hopefully make the sound at first light, before too much fetch had a chance to build up.

Crossing the Albemarle Sound

The Albemarle Sound.

It’s a legend for ICW cruisers.. and for good reason.

It’s haunted my dreams for years as we’ve approached this trip up the coast. Fear of it has probably held us back.

And here it was… finally in front of us.

Watch the weather carefully, and you can get relatively calm conditions. But things can shake up fast on this relatively shallow wind exposed 14 mile sound.

We had been watching conditions for the past couple of weeks, and keeping an eye on things. With a tropical system emerging off the Carolina Coast, predictions on the sound were rapidly deteriorating in the longer range forecast.

It was either cross while we could, or get pinned back for the approaching system.

We decided to take what we thought might be the last crossable hours on Thursday morning. A long cruising day to the base of the Alligator River yesterday left us with about 2.5 hours until the mouth of the sound.

And we wanted to cross as close to day break as feasible. Balancing light to see the numerous crab pots on the sound, with less opportunity for waves to have built.

So we got up in the darkness, with no moonlight. Using multiple navigation charts and me on the bow with a flashlight trying to spot pots and markers.

We greeted the sun rising. Things were mostly calm on the Alligator River – which should be experiencing similar NE wind conditions as the sound, so we had hope on our side that we had timed this right.

As we made bridge opening arrangements that would put us to the opening of the sound, things started to get a touch choppy.

Anxiety was rising. But predictions said the sound this morning should be below 2′ waves. About as calm as she gets.

We waved past the last marina, our only bail out spot should we lose our nerve.

And then there we were.. on the sound. And things started out not too bad. They were sporty, but no worse than what we experienced on the Pamlico Sound / Neuse a few days before.

And to our delight, only a handful of crab pots – but enough to keep on active alert. Thankfully, we’re out of prime crabbing season.

Winds were about 10 mph from the northeast as we started the crossing, and predictions had them not exceeding 15 that morning. And we hoped our logic was correct that we were experiencing the worst at this side of the sound where there would be maximum fetch?

But as it got lighter out, the winds increased beyond forecasts.. approaching 15 and beyond. And the waves increased to 2-4′ as we approached the middle.

We kept repeating the mantra that our boat can take more than her crew.

We can do this. Going back at this point was not an option. We were too far in.

We were aiming for the Pasquotank River into Elizabeth City (not following the ICW so we could explore the Dismal Swamp), which meant taking the waves to the beam to keep course.

We opted instead to go slightly off course into the waves for a smoother ride – hoping that as we got into the lee of the shoreline, the sea state would lay down and we could backtrack.

It was worst in the middle of the sound.. and quite choppy. Waves were breaking over our bow, and we were tasting the Albemarle on our lips as the spray made its way to the flybridge.

Larger waves seemed to come in sets, with reprieves in-between that would give us false hope that the worst was over.

Thankfully those sets became more spaced out as the sea state did slowly calm down as we gained more wind protection with each inch we progressed.

And we weren’t too far off course, and were able to head right into the warm calming embrace of the river.

Our heart rates came down from the intensity of the crossing. We high 5’d each other, having met our fears right on without freaking out. Only having lost a couple wine glasses and some plums in the process.

After another long cruising day of 48 nm, the Albemarle was now behind us.

And sure enough.. just a couple hours later, small craft advisories were posted for the sound that would not lift for many days.

Stop 5: Jennette Brothers Dock & Dine – Elizabeth City, NC

Heading into the Dismal Swamp, is the quaint historic town of Elizabeth City. Well known for being welcoming to transient cruisers with a plethora of free dockage options .. and sometimes roses!

It’s a couple hour cruise up the Pasquetank River after the harrowing Albemarle Sound. So plenty of time to let the adrenaline dissipate.

We had eyed the official town docks, which are nicely positioned.. well.. downtown. We had read reviews of them being short and and narrow with only pilings to attach to. And short finger piers.

But upon arrival and an attempt into one of the widest slips – we begged off. It was choppy in the harbor from the increasing winds and would only be getting worse. And besides, those were more like fingerNAIL piers? Not sure how we’d use those with our setup.

So we went through the drawbridge to more protected water and tied up to the Jennette Brothers Food Distribution dock – who graciously offers free dockage with the promise of eating at locally owned establishments. No problem there!

While we thought we’d stick around a 2-3 nights – we were done after one.

Located right next to the highly trafficked, thus loud, Hwy 17 bridge, and their loading trucks with generators running most of the night right next to us – we just weren’t getting the rest we needed to catch up on after two long challenging cruising days.

We should have gone a bit further up to the university docks instead. But we sure to appreciate the hospitality!

So after ‘paying’ for 3-nights (including a wonderful fresh smoothie experience at Electric Garden with passionate owners) – we decided to head into the Dismal Swamp to hopefully find a spot to recharge.

Stop 6: Goat Island Anchorage – Elizabeth City, ND

After our short stay in Elizabeth City, we decided to head up into the Dismal Swamp. With a tropical system approaching the coast south of us, it would offer better protection if winds increased in the area.

We timed our departure so we could just putter up the natural river part of the swamp, and time catching the last lock opening into the canal. And then head to the Visitor Center dock for overnight.

But about 6 miles into our journey, I spotted some anchorages on our navigation apps – and one in particular caught my eye.

Tucked behind Goat Island – this little oxbow area had amazing reviews for seclusion and wind protection.

Since we were craving a relaxing stop after some hectic days behind us – it seemed like perfection. On a whim, we adjusted our plans and embraced serendipity.

Floating in the middle of beauty.. is well.. blissful, relaxing and tranquil.

And just about a mile down the river, is access to a public boardwalk and just a couple block walk to a grocery store.

We ended up floating here for 2 nights, and it was just what we needed to reset.

Real Time Update

Whew.. that was a lot of adventures for just ten days, and the fun hasn’t stopped! We enjoyed hiding out in the Dismal Swamp for a few days while one tropical system was south of us. And then explored Norfolk for a few more days.

Presently, we are anchored up the James River, awaiting flooding from Hurricane Helene to subside enough so that we can arrive to the docks in downtown Richmond, Virginia. They aren’t able to handle a boat of our size during the high currents the flooding is causing.

Hopefully we’ll get there soon and enjoy a couple of weeks exploring there before we store Y-Not for the winter, and return to van life!